Shingle grooving machine



y 5, 1950 1.. E. RACKILEFF 2,516,484

SHINGLE GROOVINGMACHINE Fiied May 24, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 YMAA/ [T Era/(45F;

INVENTOR.

July 25, 1950 E. RAQKLEFF 2,516,484

- SHINGLE GROOVING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1948 2 jSheets-Sheet 2 1 YM/M/ RAa/QEFF I IN VEN TOR.

Patented July 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

. This invention relates to a shingle grooving machine.

Heretofore it has been the common practice, wherever necessary to cut a shingle through on a biasto prepare it for being applied to roof gables or valleys or to the upper edge portions of gable roofs to use a saw or hatchet to cut through the shingle with a view to shaping it properly for the intended use. Doing this not only requires the expenditure of considerable portions of the shinglers time, but also (particularly when a hatchet is used) often results in producing ragged, uneven cut edges which detract from the streamline, attractive appearance of the applied roof.

When a shingle is cut to the desired size and shape by a hatchet, the chopped off portion is wasted, but it may be used, for example, in'the valley of a roof if out off with a saw; but when sawed ofi, no two sawed-off pieces will ever be precisely alike in size and shape.

Using irregularly shaped, split or cracked shingles in roof valeys is objected to by the Federal Housing Administration, in other words, this department of the government frowns upon using in roof valleys shingles salvaged from roof hips in the manner heretofore attempted.

With a view to overcoming the foregoing objectionable features and defects in present shingling methods, it is an object of this invention to make it possible to apply standard wood shingles to a roof in an easier and more rapid manner.

"Another object is to enable the roofer to conserve material that it was formerly considered necessary to waste, and at the same time to make it possible to apply a better roof.

A more specific object is to provide an improved means for shaping shingles to fit into roof valleys and for use in finishing of peak portions of roofs in a more streamline, workmanlike manner.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide a portable, shingle-grooving instrument Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the drawings, wherein is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention as now being practiced in the trade,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device operative- 1y situated upon a fragment of a sectioned roof being shingled, with a shingle in the device posi tioned for having performed upon it the grooving operation. In this view portions of the device are broken away in order to disclose underlying structure.

Fig. 2 is an elevation looking at the right hand side of Fig. l, the roof being omitted, an upper or. machine which the roofer can mount upon the sheathing of a roof and which he can use from time to time, while working on the roof, to groove or partially cut through, shingles along lines of intended cleavage, so that shingles so grooved screws I'I.

fragment of the device being broken away to show underlying structure. I

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. l, the shingle being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged section on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view, partly in plan and partly in section, the sectioned portion of the view being on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary section on line 6--6 of Fig. 1. Parts of the structure in front of the blades are broken away.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on angular line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6, a part broken away in Fig. 6 being included in the view.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the shingle shown in Fig. 1, after grooving.

Fig. 10 is a transverse section on line |il-lll of Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the shingle-carrying cradle. i Referring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 1 the device is shown mounted upon a roof having sheathing boards l2 carried by rafters I3. The device comprises a pair of parallel, upstanding rods M which form parts of an upstanding guide frame. Said rods have their lower end portions secured in any suitable manner to a base plate l5, as for example, by being fitted into apertures through said plate and being Welded in said apertures, as shown in Fig. 4. The upper end portions of said rods are secured in a parallel, spaced apart relation by means of a U-shaped, strap metal handle member IS, with the outer end portions of the arms of said U overlying the ends of said rodsl4 and secured to them by means of Said base plate I5 is Welded to the horizontal flange l8 of an angle member l9. Said angle member, internally of its angle, is welded to a sleeve 28, said sleeve being loosely mounted upon a shaft 2i. Said shaft is secured against rotation by being welded in bores 22 of bracket arms 23. Said bracket arms are tapered toward their upper ends (see Fig. 1.), where said bores are located. Said shaft 21 bridges thespace between said bracket arms and projects outwardly slight- 1y beyond them where Welds 21w are applied to secure it to said bracket arms. Each of said bracket arms has a rectangular base portion 24, said base portions being welded to a tie plate 25. Said tie plate has its outer edge portionsabutting against and welded to the inner edgeportions of a pair of parallel foot plates 25. The outer edge ..carrying frame is manually moved up and "down along the aforesaid rods 14 by means of a portions of the rectangular foot ilan'gesqltare, in

turn, welded to the upper faces of said footplates 7 2B, the latter having rectangular hooked, dowiiwardly directed end portions 27, which may be hooked'over the sheathing'strips I 2 of theroofto maintain the deviceinits operative'position-upon a roof.

The framework, of which the aforesaid rods 14 form a part, is maintainabl'ein various tilted positions by means of a plurality-of threaded bores "28 located in the vertical legof theaforesaidangle bar H! at various longitudinally spaced points along the len-gth of -the aforesaid sleeve 201 is maintained in various adjusted- -positions by means of an L-shaped pin SL-having the ends-portion of its longer limb 32 diametrically. reduced to seat in the bores 30 of said shaft, andedjacent to said diametrically reduced end portion said. pin is provided with threadsto engage the alin'ed threaded bores ZB'and 29 already mentioned.

Upon the aforesaid para'llel frame rods, ['4 is mounted, a vertically reciprocatory frame 36 which carries a pair of shingle-grooving knives 31 and 37a, the mounting meansifor which will now be described. In Figs. 6 and '7 said mounting means is shown as comprising twinu'nits"38 and 39. Each of these units'isshown as con-1 sisting of two plates4l and42vbo1ted together in a face to face manner, said plate 42 having aspotwelded to it a sleeve 43-- which reciprocates along one of the rods 14 during-theoperationofthe shingle grooving knives. The other plate has welded to it a metal strip it-which is T-shaped in cross-section, the stern of the T, in turn being welded along its outeredge to the thickened lower end portion 45 of a vertically extending rectangular-bar 4B. Said bar 46 has a' transversegroove 41 in-which is adjustablyseatedthe blade 31 of said opposed cutting blades, said blade being. held in place by an overlying strap 49 Figure 8 held abuttingly thereagainst by means of bolts 50 extending through said strap 49 and being tapped into said bar 46. The other twin frame member unit 39, being constructed the same as the unit already described is lettered in'the same way except for the addition of the letter a tov the reference numerals used. The twin, elongated cutter blades 31, 31a are shown provided with rounded,

Jhandle structure comprising at the top a horizontal handle proper 55 consisting of a short barthe'ends ofwhich are internally welded to the 'upper portions of parallel, spaced apart plates 56 a considerable: distanceeabove' their lower: ends.

The iower end-portionsof saidzplates 5e are-internally unit'edto 'each other bya'rectan'gular, strap metal frame ""63. The lower :ends -of i said plates 56 .projectslightly below the ends .of'said frame E63 and within the angular, corner --thus formed at each'side o'f'zthe device abut the upper ends of paired strap metal braces ;6l, eacl'r-of these four braces being externally and internally spot welded inth-ispositionas indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 at 6120. The lower end portion'of each of said braces 6! is spotwelded at 6 In; to the aforesaid members 44 and -45,(see Fig. .2).

InFigs. 1 and l-i is shown-a'swingable cradle structure .65 adjustably to support the shingle 66 while being operated upon by the aforesaid-cutters. This structure comprises a shorter saddle member 6! upon which-is seatablethe buttend portion of the shingle -andalongersaddle member68=to have'seated upon it one of thelong edge portions of theshingle. These saddle members are similarly constructed, the member 6143011 sisting of an elongated-plate bent along its midwidth in such a way-as to provide agrooved shingle-holding part-61a having at each side an outwardly inclined'lip portion Bib. to aid the workman in guiding the shingles into said grooved part. Likewise the saddle member 68 has a grooved part SBa and-shingle-guiding lips 68b.

Said saddle members 61 and 6B are respectively rigidly secured, by welding or otherwise,"to mounting bars 10 and-H of a oneepieceisaddlecarrying frame, or cradle, which also comprises twin end bars 12. The aforesaid base ,"plate I'5 has welded to each of opposite side, portions of. 'its upper face an upstanding a'rm'13. Said armsl3 have screwthreaded "apertures through their upper endpo'rtions'to have screwed'into them T-shaped manually operable clamping screws I4 which pass through theaperturedend'platesn of the aforesaid saddle carrying frame.

"When the shingler arrives at'the job hewill take the device 'onto' the roof and will apply; its basal hooks"?! to the sheathing ton-honor" the device in its operative position in the manner illustrated in'Fig. 1. Thereupon he will adjus-t the frame rods l4 toan approximately :ver-tical position, in which'position he will secure them by screwing the diametrically reduced'end por'tionbf angular pin 3| 'into the proper bore-'provided therefor in the shaft 2|. Then he'willadiu'st the shingle-cradle 65 v(comprising'members 61 and Q8) to .the, proper .angular, 1 shingle supporting position; securing it in that position by downscrewing its manually operable T'-shaped screws 14. It will then only remain to insert a typical shingle 66 into the grooves provided for it in the saddlemembers El and 68; ofv the' cradle 65pmparatory to'proceeding to makeppposed grooves pitch of the roof, it will not, in this respect, be

changed again while work is being done on that particular roof, but assuming that occasion demands that the grooves be made across the face of the shingles to adapt them to use on a different ridge or valley, all that it is necessary to do is to loosen the T-shaped screws [4, swing the cradle 65 to the proper angle, and then retighten said screws.

In the operation of the device the shock absorbing springs 5| reduce the shocks caused by the downward movements of the carriage 35 and thus make the operation of the device less fatiguing to the workman.

After the shingles have been grooved by the device, their grooved part can quickly and easily be manually broken across to provide shingle fragments of the predetermined size and shape.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the subject matter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a shingle grooving machine, mounting means attachable to a roof being shingled, a frame mounted upon said mounting means, a shingle-carrying cradle mounted upon said frame to support a shingle in a vertical plane, and a carriage vertically reciprocable upon said frame and carrying opposed, parallel laterally spaced cutters positioned simultaneously to groove opposite faces of a shingle mounted in said cradle during manual reciprocation of said carriage, the grooving operation thus performed upon the shingle leaving a fragile web for subsequent severance of the shingle between the opposed grooves formed therein.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a basal portion provided with means to anchor it to the sheathing of an inclined roof, a cradle mounted upon said basal portion and having a saddle in which a shingle is fittable, guide means mounted upon said basal portion in an upstanding relation to the latter, a carriage manually reciprocable up and down upon said guide means, and a cutter mounted upon said carriage in a position to groove a shingle supported in said saddle when said carriage is moved downwardly.

3. The subject matter of claim 2 and, said saddle having diverging upwardly directed lip portions to guide downwardly inserted shingles into it. a

4. In a shingle grooving machine, mounting means attachable to a roof being shingled,

elongated g'uid'e:.-means" upstanding from said mounting meanskfa' .carriage manually ::re'cip'- rocablealongsaid .guiderm'ean's, a pair 'of 0pposed, adjacent laterally spaced cutters mounted upon said carriage with. lcutting redges directed toward/each other, ascradlet supported by said mounting means and furnished -with a two-part saddle in .which to'xsupport ashingle so as 'lto maintain the latter extending iin'averticalplane in positionffor having ii'ts lopposite faces grooved with a pair of alined registering grooves by said cutters when said carriage is moved downwardly, each of said two-parts of said saddle having in it an upwardly facing groove to receive an edge portion of a shingle, said grooves extending at substantially a right angle to each other.

5. In a shingle grooving machine, mounting means attachable to a roof being shingled, a frame mounted upon said mounting means, means positioned between said mounting means and said frame to adjust the latter at various upstanding inclinations in relation to the former, a shingle carrying cradle mounted upon said frame to support a shinglein a vertical plane, and a carriage vertically reciprocable upon said frame and carrying opposed, parallel laterally spaced cutters positioned simultaneously to groove opposite faces of a shingle mounted in said cradle, during manual reciprocation of said carriage, the grooving operation thus performed upon a shingle leaving a fragile web for subsequent severance of the shingle between the aforesaid grooves formed therein.

6. A device of the kind described comprising a basal portion, a frame carrying elongated guide means mounted upon said basal portion in an upstanding relation to the latter, a shingle carrying cradle mounted upon said frame, means associated with said basal portion to swingably adjust said frame and guide means in relation thereto, means positioned between said basal portion and said frame releasably to lock the latter in various adjusted positions in relation to the former, a carriage manually reciprocable up and down upon said guide means, and a cutter mounted upon said carriage in a position to groove, during its downward movement, a shingle supported in said cradle.

7. In a shingle grooving machine, mounting means supportable upon a roof being shingled, said mounting means comprising a base furnished with paired upstanding bracket arms, a shaft secured rigidly to and spanning the space between the upper end portions of said bracket arms, a sleeve loosely mounted upon said shaft, a frame structure to which said sleeve is mediately secured, so that said frame structure and sleeve are together swingably adjustable in relation to said shaft, there being a plurality of paired radially and longitudinally spaced bores extending diametrically into said sleeve and diametrically into said shaft, the bores of said sleeve being alinable with the bores of said shaft, a pin insertable within the alined bores to maintain said frame structure upstanding at various inclinations in relation to said base, a shingle carrying cradle mounted upon said frame structure to support a shingle in a vertical plane, and a carriage vertically reciprocable upon said frame structure and carrying opposed, parallel laterally spaced cutters positioned simultaneously to groove opposite faces of a shingle mounted in said cradle, during manual reciprocation of said carriage, the grooving operation thus performed upon a shingle leaving a fragile web for sub- 

